The present application claims priority on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-129226, filed Jun. 4, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cup holder of a vehicle, for example. A container of a beverage may be placed on the cup holder. In particular, the present invention relates to a cup holder which supports a peripheral wall of the container of the beverage that is placed, thereby preventing the container of the beverage from wobbling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional cup holders have been configured as follows: First, the cup holder comprises a storing part of a container of a beverage, which is opened in an upward direction. An opening part is provided at an upper portion of a side wall of this storing part. A pivot shaft is provided on this opening part. An axis of the pivot shaft is in a horizontal direction. A support is made by biasing a holder to this pivot shaft with a biasing part. The holder may protrude and retract from the opening part towards an inner side of the storing part. (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-082887.)
Therefore, when the container of the beverage is inserted in the storing part, the holder resists against the biasing part. Thus, the holder is pushed inside the opening part formed on the side wall of the storing part. When the insertion of the container of the beverage is completed, the holder presses against a peripheral wall of the container of the beverage in a condition in which the holder is biased by the biasing part. As a result, the container of the beverage is prevented from wobbling.
Further, when there is a constricted part at an outer peripheral surface of the container of the beverage, the holder might become stuck in the constricted part of the container of the beverage that is about to be removed. However, a force, which is applied to the holder from the container of the beverage that is about to be removed, acts on a lower side with respect to the pivot shaft of a supporting part. Therefore, this force is applied so as to push the holder into the opening part. Therefore, the container of the beverage may be removed by directly picking up the container.
However, according to the conventional cup holder described above, when a user is about to remove a cup holder, and the user feels even a little resistance during the removing action as if the holder is stuck in the constricted part of the container of the beverage, it is possible that the user may insert his or her finger inside the opening part in order to unlock the holder supporting the container of the beverage. In order to withhold this action, it is necessary to enhance the robustness of the pivot shaft, enlarge components, and the like.